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St Mary

St Mary

Langley

Berkshire

C12 and C14 with tower of 1609, south transept of 1613, north aisle arcade dated 1630, west porch of 1818, and some C19 restoration

Architectural Features

Flint and rubble with limestone dressings, red brick south transept, cement rendered porch, and old tile roofs, separately over nave, aisle and lower chancel

small rectangular opening in third stage to south, arched opening to north, and clock to west with small carved Kederminster shield above

Chancel with three bay waggon roof, two bay north chapel arcade with octagonal piers, chamfered arches and hoodmoulds with carved stops, and four bay sedilia and piscina with triple shafts, bell capitals, trefoiled arches and foliated spandrels

Many windows have internal shafting, hoodmoulds and carved stops, including some 'green men'. Fittings include: C15 chancel screen of five bays with ogee-headed divisions, traceried panels and battlemented top

pulpit dated 1609 with strapwork

C15 octagonal stone font with carved quatrefoil panels

C17 gallery in west arch of nave arcade with cut balusters, north aisle west gallery with list of benefactors, C18 brass chandalier in chancel, 1625 Royal coat of arms in western arch nave arcade, six hatchments, and creed and commandment boards

Remains of C17 wall painting matching pew in south transeptal chapel

Fragments of C15 glass in a north chapel west window

Kederminster Library: given in 1623 and housed in former south porch in 1631, consiting of painted panelling with local scenes, Kederminster portraits and trompe-l'oeil books on the inside of the shelf doors, and painted chimney-piece with overmantel consisting of Tuscan half columns supporting painted frieze and dentil cornice flanking painted allegorical figures surrounding oval centre-piece with painted shields

Monuments include: that in the chancel to the Kederminster family of 1599 in alabaster with two Corinthian columns supporting entablature with coat of arms, and two facing pairs of kneeling figures with their children below

that in south chapel to Robert Bateson Harvey of 1825 with the seated figure of a christian pilgrim

two brasses, to Robert Harvey 1863 and to Robert Bateson Harvey of 1887

This church is particularly interesting because of its wealth of fittings and monuments, notably the library which is unique